Reese Witherspoon may be an Oscar and Emmy winner, but her daughter, Ava Phillippe, was the star on Saturday night when she made her debut into society at the 25th annual Bal des Debutantes in Paris.
Phillippe, who is the 18-year-old daughter of Witherspoon and her ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe, looked every bit the Hollywood starlet in a sparkling gold ball gown by Giambattista Valli Haute Couture.
After walking the red carpet and posing for photos with her mom, Phillippe entered the debutante ball on the arm of Padmanabh Singh, the Maharaja of Jaipur (and a pal of Prince William). The pair opened the ball by waltzing for the crowd to a tune from the movie “La La Land.”
It was a fairytale night for Phillippe, as well as 19 other young women from prominent families. Phillippe was one of six American girls participating in the event, as was Steve Harvey’s 20-year-old daughter Lori.
First held in 1992, the Bal des Debutantes is a modern-day “coming out” party where young women from political, aristocrat, entertainment and other notorious families are introduced to society and the world of high fashion. The event, held at the Peninsula Hotel this year, raises money for charity and has been called one of the world’s hottest parties by Forbes.
Past debutantes have included Kyra Kennedy (daughter of Robert Kennedy, Jr.), Sophia Rose Stallone (daughter of Sylvester Stallone), and Scout and Tallulah Willis (daughters of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore).
In the days leading up to the ball, Phillippe, Witherspoon and their family celebrated Thanksgiving in Paris. Phillippe posted a photo of her half-brother, Tennessee, riding the carousel at the Jardin des Tuileries.
“Thankful for moments like this!” she captioned the adorable pic.
The next day, mother and daughter attended the annual le Bal breakfast and “run through” event, where the debutantes have their hair and makeup done and try on their gowns in preparation for the big event the next night. The girls pose for photos together and separately, and then take waltzing classes along with their fathers or cavaliers.